Heart 2 Dragon Heart
by Earth and Fire
Summary: Sequel to This Time Around. ADJL and Dragon Heart crossover. Rose is transported back to a time of knights, chivalry and dragons. With the help of some unlikely friends, she tries to find a way back home, only to get caught up in a war.[DELAYED]
1. Misson Failed

**I don't own American Dragon: Jake Long or Dragon Heart.**

**This is a sequel to This Time Around, and is a cross over between American Dragon: Jake Long and Dragon Heart. If you're a dragon addict like myself, you'll like Dragon Heart.**

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Rose strolled down the sidewalk, headed for the electronics shop. In one hand she held a cappuccino, and in the other the want ads from the newspaper. The rhythmic clicking of her heels on the pavement, and the fluttering of her white skirt just below her knees seemed to draw attention. She didn't notice as a few young men turned their heads to watch her as she passed. Once or twice someone would whistle, or make a comment.

At last she reached Canal Street Electronics and pushed open the door. Jake was standing at the counter chatting with Trixie and Spud. Lao Shi was straightening up the shelves.

"Hey Rose," Jake greeted her cheerfully. "Where have you been?"

"Probably bringing in more customers with the way she's dressed," Trixie commented with an approving grin.

Sure enough, a few moments later, a trio of young guys of about twenty entered the store. They browsed around the shop, sneaking glances at Rose who had now perched herself on a stool behind the cash register and was sipping on her cappuccino. She caught one of them staring, and he quickly averted his eyes to a shelf of stereos. She shot Jake a sideways look and smirked.

One of the boys chose a VCR and went up to the counter. Jake rang it up, while the guy bravely struck up a conversation with Rose.

"So do you work here?" he asked a little uncertainly.

"Sorta," Rose answered distractedly.

He seemed discouraged by her lack of interest. He and his friends left after Jake gave him his bag and his change. Jake looked at Rose and cracked a grin.

"You just can't help yourself can you?" Lao Shi commented good-naturedly.

"Better thank her, G," Jake said, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist. "She's helped us sell half our stock in three weeks and you know you appreciate the extra money."

"It's all in the advertising," Rose added crossing her legs and winking.

"Told you a skirt helps," Trixie said. "By the way, the stiletto heels were a nice touch."

Everyone looked at her in surprise, all except for Rose of course. She got up and walked over to her friend.

"Trixie's my fashion consultant," she explained. "Most of the credit is due to her great fashion sense."

Trixie and Rose had become great friends in the weeks since the Hunts Clan's capture. They were like sisters and Jake was happy to see how well they got along. Their relationship had a complete turn around and Rose was now simply part of the family. Spud and Fu were like brothers to her, and Lao Shi was a sort of father figure. She had finally gained two things she'd always wanted: a family and a normal life.

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Basement of Penderas Towers

8:30 P.M.

A slim figure cloaked in darkness slunk around the many crates and boxes. There was no one else in the room, she'd already scanned the area with her PDA, and no other life form besides her was detected.

"See anything?" a voice crackled.

"Other than a bunch of boxes, no," she responded.

"Keep looking," the voice ordered. "It's in there somewhere."

"I'm doing the best I can," she said frustrated. "I can barely see and this place is huge. Ouch! Friggin' crate."

"Give her a break G," another voice crackled. "How ya doing, babe?"

The girl rubbed her sore hip and grumbled, "Fine."

Rose was the girl and she was communicating via earphones to Jake, Lao Shi and Fu Dog. Outside Penderas Towers was a white van parked in the adjacent alley. Inside were tons of electric gadgets and what not. A few monitors were showing different rooms of Penderas Towers thanks to the hacking abilities of Lao Shi. He, Jake, and Fu were wearing headphones with mouthpieces, which allowed them to communicate with Rose.

She was on a mission to recover the Amulet of Amaranth. The amulet had the ability to send whoever held it back in time. This kind of power could prove fatal in Penderas's hands and it was Rose's job to make sure that didn't happen. Somehow sneaking around in a powerful wizard's basement didn't sound safe in the least, but her own safety was the least of her concerns.

She came upon a door that looked like it led to a safe. She found it locked with a mere padlock. She blasted it with her staff, and was surprised when the lock fell away. She pulled open the door with some difficulty, and peeked inside. It _was_ a safe and in the middle of the small room was a pedestal. Perched atop it was the Amulet of Amaranth. Rose took a pouch of dust from her pocket and tossed its contents into the air. No infrared security beams appeared.

'_Something doesn't feel right,_' Rose thought. '_This is just too easy. I'd better grab it and run._'

"Guys," Rose said into her mouthpiece, "I've found it. Be ready to move it when I come out."

She took a deep breath, and ran for the pedestal. She grabbed the amulet and turned to make a run for it. She stopped dead in her tracks. There, standing in the doorway was Penderas himself along with a man in a ninja suit.

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The monitors in the van went blank, and static came over the earphones. Every line of communication was dead.

"ROSE!" Jake yelled frantically.

He punched the transmitter, hoping that would right whatever was wrong. No avail. Something had gone horribly wrong.

"I'm going in," he said decisively.

Wordlessly he flung the doors open and leapt out, transforming into the dragon as he went. Fu and Lao Shi followed.

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Rose's headset crackled with static and she knew she was on her own. The ninja leapt at her and they were soon engaged in battle. He countered every move she had with a block and his own attack. Within a matter of minutes, she was overpowered and pinned to the ground. She struggled in vain.

"Hello Rose," he greeted her. "Long time no see."

"Not long enough, Kane," Rose snarled. "I heard my uncle had chosen you to become his new apprentice. I knew you'd run to save your own skin when things got tough. Figures you'd cozy up with Penderas."

Kane growled angrily and pointed Rose's own staff at her throat.

"You're really in no position to run your mouth," he shot back. "Besides, _you_ ran off with a dragon."

"Enough!" Penderas snapped. "Kane, roll her over and hold her still."

Kane flipped Rose over on her back and held her. Penderas pointed his wand straight at Rose's heart. She braced herself for impending death.

"LET HER GO!" Jake's voice roared behind them.

With him were Lao Shi (in dragon form) and Fu Dog.

Penderas regarded them with amusement and said, "Ah, the American Dragon, so nice of you to join our party. I'll be with you in just a moment."

Jake charged him, but he wasn't fast enough. A jet of blue shot out of Penderas's wand and at the same time the Amulet of Amaranth glowed and a blinding white light lit up the entire basement. When the light subsided, Rose _and_ Kane were gone. Penderas was surprised, but he was more upset over the amulet being gone as well.

"Rose!" Jake cried.

He turned with fury on Penderas, but the wizard merely tapped himself with his wand and disappeared. Jake flew to the spot where Rose had been and frantically searched for something that could show him where she went. He looked back at his grandpa and animal guardian. In his eyes was a mixture of anger, concern and fear.

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Rose opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a bright wheat field instead of in a dark basement. Kane was just as surprised as she was and loosened his grip on her. She brought up her fist and punched him hard in the jaw. She leapt away from him, and snatched her staff out of his hands.

Kane rose to his feet and glared at her. Rose was the one with the weapon and he wouldn't dare fight her without something to defend himself with. The end of her staff glowed menacingly. The look on her face clearly said that she was not in the mood for foolishness.

"I want to know what happened, and I want to know right now," she demanded in a no nonsense tone.

Kane looked at her staff and then at her. Her body language and eyes were that of person who was on the verge of lashing out at the first unfortunate soul that crossed her path.

"Well since I seem to have no say in the matter, I might as well tell you," he said grudgingly. "The Amulet of Amaranth, in addition to teleporting abilities, also acts as a sort of defense mechanism. If the wearer is in danger, the amulet teleports the person to a time and place where he or she would be safe. It brought me with you because I was holding on to you at the time."

"There's no easy way to get back, is there?" Rose asked.

"I'm afraid not," Kane said sadly.

The bitter edge had left his voice, surprising Rose. He seemed to not want to be here as much as she did.

"Wait a minute," she said suspiciously. "You know a little too much for me to believe this was an accident. There's more to this story than you're telling me."

"I don't have to tell you anything," Kane spat.

She reminded him of her obvious advantage, by pointing its glowing tip in his face.

"I beg to differ," she growled. "Now start talking. Neither of us is going anywhere, so you might as well spill."

Kane knew she was right. He hated to admit it, but she was. He had nothing to lose by telling her, and it would be fun to gloat. So he decided to reveal Penderas's plan.

"Okay, I'll tell you," he said smirking. "You were right about this not being a sheer coincidence. Penderas knew you would be there looking for the amulet. Just before we caught you, he jammed your communications, which would draw out the American Dragon. The idea was to send him _and_ his friends back in time to get them out of the way."

"Then why are you here?" Rose cut in.

Suddenly a thought struck him. Penderas hadn't waited at all. He just went ahead and zapped Rose just as the American Dragon appeared. He could've had him, but he chose to strike prematurely, sending both Rose _and_ Kane hurdling through time. It was no accident at all. He clenched his fists, swearing softly.

"I've been tricked," he growled. "That hexing wand waver did this on purpose."

Rose was confused now, but her grip on her staff never waived. Neither did her aim.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped.

Kane's eyes met hers and she saw barely checked fury in them.

"Penderas meant for me to be sent back with you," he explained through gritted teeth. "He wanted to get rid of me. It's got something to do with the Hunts Clan, I just know it!"

"He and the Hunts Clan are huge rivals," Rose said. "I thought everyone knew that. They're in the same business and have stakes in the magical Black Market. Though Penderas always managed to keep his nose clean so the Dragon Council wouldn't catch on to him."

Kane gaped at her.

"Hunts Man never mentioned that," he said stunned. "How did _you_ know?"

"It was more than evident," Rose answered. "Hunts Man never told me, but I figured it out for myself. I wondered why a member of the Hunts Clan was with Penderas, but it turns out he was just using you. Using Hunts Boy to catch the old Hunts Girl. Typical Penderas."

"But we have the amulet, so his plan didn't work quite like he wanted," Kane said triumphantly.

"Correction," Rose said, producing the Amulet of Amaranth hanging around her neck. "_I_ have it."

Kane glared at her and muttered, "We'll see about that."

Just as he was about to leap at her, a huge shadow passing over them made both cringe. Rose looked up to see the scaly underside of a huge monster flying overhead. Rose stared at it in wonder. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her side as she fell to the ground. Kane stood over her triumphantly, now holding her staff. He aimed it at her, poised to strike.

"Say goodbye, Rosie," he sneered.

A blur of golden brown flashed before Rose's eyes, and Kane was sent flying. She realized that the 'monster' was standing next to her, daring Kane to charge. This monster was actually a dragon. He was a huge one at that, much bigger than the ones she was used to. His golden brown scales gleamed in the sunlight, his eyes of gold showed no fear, and his imposing figure was enough to make Kane decide that continuing this fight wouldn't be wise. Rose concentrated hard on her staff, and much to Kane's surprise, it flew out of his hands into hers. Immediately, he retreated. Rose looked up at the dragon, and pulled off her mask.

"Thank you," she said with a huge smile.

The dragon dipped his head in a bow and smiled back.

"I'm always happy to help a lass in distress," he said in a devastatingly charming Scottish accent. "My name is Draco, what is yours?"

"Rose, " she said. "Pleasure to meet you Draco."

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**There you have it, chapter 1 of Heart 2 Dragon Heart. Let me know what you think about it. **


	2. Unlikely Friends

9:00 A.M. Canal Street Electronics

Jake paced nervously around the backroom wringing his hands. Trixie, Spud, Fu and Lao Shi tried to calm him, but they were worried as well, so it was no use.

"There's got to be a way to find her," he said frustrated. "Surely there's a potion somewhere that can do it."

Fu was going through every one of his spell and potion books--a tedious task--looking for something to aid them in their search for Rose.

"Worrying won't help anything," Trixie reminded Jake. "This is Rose we're talking about here, the best fighter we know. The girl can handle herself Jake, so calm down."

"I know that, but I can't help it," Jake said, running his fingers through his hair. "I feel like it's my fault she's in this situation in the first place. I should have fried Penderas and then she'd be here right now."

"Jake," Lao Shi said gently touching his arm. "You couldn't have stopped this. It's not your fault."

"You don't understand!" he cried, shoving his grandpa's hand away. "I _promised_ Rose that I'd never let anything get her. That's the only reason she agreed to go in there, because she had faith that if things got bad, I'd be there to protect her."

He sank onto the couch and buried his face in his hands.

"I let her down," he moaned.

His friends surrounded him, saying nothing, just _being_ there. He just wished he could be there for Rose. No telling what kind of danger she was in.

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Contrary to everyone's belief, Rose was perfectly safe. She was sitting beside a sparkling river with Draco who had already dedicated himself to becoming her traveling companion and guard dog. The Dark Dragon himself would avoid Rose at all costs to prevent a run-in with her new friend.

"So tell me more about New York," Draco began casually.

Rose thought about her concrete jungle home. It's gleaming skyscrapers, and busy inhabitants.

"It's a place like you've never seen," she began staring off into the blue skies above, deep in thought. "Huge buildings of glass and steel reach into the sky, and catch every ray of the sun's light. The people are always on the move, going here and there, flowing like a river in and out of the buildings. There's always something to do and something happening. At night, the city glitters like thousands of jewels. It shines so bright that the stars can't be seen. At all hours of the night, life carries on as if it were day. "

"Sounds amazing," Draco commented thoughtfully.

"What normal people see is only scraping the surface," Rose said, looking at him.

"_Normal_ people?" Draco said curiously.

Rose smiled and plucked at the grass absently.

"There's a whole other world that exists within the city that only a lucky few know about," she began, looking up into the dragon's eager eyes.

She chuckled softly, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them.

"Living among the humans are all sorts of magical creatures ranging from brownies to werewolves and everything in between," she said. "As you can well imagine, so many magic beings coexisting with regular people would cause some conflict. This is where the dragons come in. They keep order and protect the magic's from anyone that would harm them. I used to be on the opposition, out to get anything magical, dragons in particular."

To her surprise, Draco didn't flinch. He listened with a nonjudgmental ear, something age and years of gained wisdom taught him. He could sense a poisoned heart through a pleasing varnish. Rose, he knew, was beautiful through and through. If eyes are windows to the soul, the view was of a meadow with deer munching on clover without a care in the world. Though her choice of attire was baffling the dragon.

"What made you change?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Long story short, I fell in love with the enemy," she said with a bright smile. "Dragon slayer running off with a dragon. What are the chances of that?"

"You love a dragon?" Draco asked astounded. "He must be something for a lovely human like yourself to seek the companionship of a dragon over your own species."

Rose chuckled and said, "You bet your dragon fire he is. Then again he never had any serious competition."

Draco chuckled. He stopped abruptly, glaring at something behind Rose. She looked at him curiously, and became aware of the sound of horse hooves striking the ground. She turned and saw a man clad in black attire characteristic of the Middle Ages. He was riding up on a bay horse, sword at his side.

"Friend of yours?" Rose queried, looking up at the dragon.

"Not hardly," Draco responded darkly.

"DRAGON!" the man on horseback called, still charging. "Let the girl go, or face my wrath."

A rumbling came from deep in Draco's throat that could mean only one thing. Whoever this stranger was, would get to witness the dragon's fire skills first hand should he attempt anything. He rode closer, stopping a few yards away from Rose. His shoulder length brown hair, unshaven face and grungy appearance stated that this man wasn't too concerned with image.

"Picking on defenseless maidens, are you?" the man scoffed. "Is there no limit to how low your kind can sink?"

"What exactly is he supposed to be?" Rose asked, surveying the man with amusement.

"Dragon slayer," Draco muttered.

"_That's_ a dragon slayer?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Yes, and a good one at that, look at his shield of dragon teeth," Draco pointed out.

Rose scoffed and said, "We'll see how good he is."

Before Draco could stop her, she leapt between him and the man. She assumed a fighting stance, staff glowing furiously and eyes narrowed in determination.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked in surprise.

"You want to fight someone?" Rose snarled at the surprised dragon slayer. "Try me on for size."

The dragon slayer looked from girl to dragon in confusion.

"You're stark raving mad!" he said in astonishment.

Rose smirked and zapped the ground at the bay's feet with a bolt of red energy. The horse reared, throwing his rider to the ground.

"So I've been told," she commented dryly. "Now are you going to just sit there and let a girl beat you to a pulp…or are you going to get up and do something about it?"

The man sluggishly got to his feet and approached her, with his hands in the air declaring he wanted peace.

"I'm after the dragon," he said slowly, as if she were mentally inept. "I don't want to fight you."

With lightning fast movement, Rose sank the heel of her boot into his gut, causing him to double over and fall. He groaned in pain and looked at her dumbfounded.

"What was that for?" he moaned.

"You think I'm playing, _dragon slayer_?" she spat out the last two words like spoiled meat. "Come a little closer and see if I am."

The man staggered to his feet, stepping back a step or two. Determination was in his eyes, and it matched Rose's.

"You're interfering with business," he said, placing a hand on the butt of his sword. "I'm not leaving until I slay that dragon, and if I must, I'll fight you to do it."

"Rose, let me handle this," Draco said firmly.

Rose looked over her shoulder at him. It made sense to let the dragon fight the dragon slayer. His meager sword and flimsy shield seemed ill matched for their prey. Still the uneasy feeling was there. She shook her head and turned to face the man that had come with intentions to kill her friend.

"Draw your weapon," she said to the dragon slayer.

He looked at her incredulously.

"You're serious," he said, finally catching on.

He looked at Draco and then at Rose. He eyed her black suit and staff apprehensively.

"You're a witch aren't you?" he asked suspiciously.

"If I was, you can bet I would have turned you into a toad by now," Rose said. "Whatever gave you that idea anyway?"

"Your clothes for one thing," he said gesturing. "Mostly it's how tame this dragon seems to be. How ever did you calm such a savage beast?"

"He's not savage!" Rose said defensively. "_You're_ the one walking around slaying things."

The man sighed and removed his hand from his sword. He could see he was getting nowhere and slaying this dragon was a lost cause. He hated dragons, but he didn't have it in him to strike a female to kill one. Chivalry still clung to him, no matter how hard he tried to dislodge it.

"Fine, I won't kill him," he said resignedly.

Seeing the distrust in Rose's eyes, he pulled his sword from its sheath and tossed it to the ground a few feet away.

"I don't trust you," Rose said bluntly.

Draco stepped forward and gently touched Rose's shoulder. She turned her head and looked up into his gold eyes. He seemed to trust the dragon slayer, so she decided to back down for now. Still she would watch this stranger with a close eye.

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In a damp cave miles away, Kane knelt on its cold floor. He uncorked a small vile of green liquid. He stared at it a moment, apprehensively. Penderas had said this potion would work. The ploy to throw Rose off had worked perfectly. He would have killed her if it hadn't been for that dragon. That put a damper on his plans, but no matter. Soon Rose and her dragons wouldn't be a problem.

He dumped the potion into his mouth, and threw the empty vile aside. He felt a surge of power rush through his veins. His body expanded, becoming more muscular and larger. He became covered in thick, grey skin and his eyes were two ovular pools of red with slits for pupils. His features were lupine, complete with deadly sharp fangs. The transformation was complete. He brought his hand up in front of his face studying the elongated fingers tipped in talons. He grinned wickedly. The Hunter had been born.

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**Let me clarify something: Kane is not a werewolf. He looks a lot like one and he has a lot of the powers, but he's not. You'll see the difference between him and a werewolf later on.**

**Radiant Beam: I know you couldn't leave a review, but I got your message. Thanks!**


	3. Fu Finds A Way

"My name is Bowen," the dragon slayer said suddenly.

Rose snorted.

"I have trouble with names. Can I just call you filthy murdering…"

"Rose," Draco cut her off gently. "Calm yourself. Why don't you go get some firewood? It will be getting dark soon."

Rose eyed Bowen suspiciously, but Draco was right. It was getting a little colder too, and if Jake had found a way to her, the fire would attract his attention. Though if Kane were still around, he'd see her for sure. Surely with Draco there she'd be safe. Still, she wasn't too keen on the idea of leaving Bowen unguarded around Draco.

"Look lady, I won't touch your dragon," Bowen said.

Rose toed his shield bordered with dragon teeth with her boot, and arched an eyebrow at him.

"How many times have you used that line?" she asked scathingly.

"_I'll_ go get the firewood," Bowen growled, "if that will shut you up."

He retrieved his sword and replaced it in its sheath. He shot a burning glare at Rose and stormed off. Once he was gone, Rose chuckled to herself and sat on the grass beside Draco contentedly.

"Am I good or what?" she asked with a smirk.

Draco had meant to reprimand her behavior, but instead he grinned and chuckled softly.

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Fu was down to his last potion book. His eyes hurt from staring at endless pages from a seemingly endless pile of books. He was getting a massive tension head ache and rubbed his temple, trying to sooth the throbbing pain. He used a sleep-inducing potion from one of his other books on Jake, slipping it into his drink. Now he lay sleeping in his apartment, with Trixie and Spud monitoring him. He was sure they had dozed off as well. The old dog was dimly aware that Lao Shi was moving about the store somewhere.

Suddenly, the answer to the question leapt at him. His drooping head snapped to attention and his headache ceased to matter. He snatched up the book and ran to find the old man.

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Jake's apartment was dark except the light coming from the moonlight streaming through the windows. Trixie and Spud were sleeping on the couches in the living room, and Jake was asleep in his room. All was still and silent. Then the phone rang, breaking the silence.

Trixie groggily opened her eyes and snapped wide-awake when she realized what had caused her to stir. She scrambled to the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" she said uncertainly.

"Trixie, get Spud and Jake and high tail it over to the shop," Fu said excitedly. "I've found a way to find Rose!"

Trixie's heart leapt and she forced the cry of joy back down her throat.

"Really? Oh man! Jake's gonna flip!" She paused and nodded, "Sure thing, Fu. We'll be there in two shakes of a dragon's tail."

She replaced the phone on its receiver and ran back to the living room. She flipped the light switch and shook Spud awake.

"Whassamatter?" Spud slurred groggily.

"Rose!" Trixie cried excitedly. "Fu's got a way to find her!"

Spud was wide-awake. He jumped up and they ran to Jake's room to tell him the news. The first thing he did was spring out of bed and try to dash out of the apartment.

"Come on guys," he said. "We're taking the Dragon Express,"

"Hold it, Jakey," Trixie said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "Fu wants us to bring Rose's crystal necklace. You know, the one that she uses to find stuff on a map with?"

Jake dashed to Rose's room and seconds later, came back with a purple crystal hanging from a silver chain. He grabbed Trixie and Spud by their wrists and ran, dragging them along with him. In the ally adjacent to the apartment building, he powered into his dragon self. Trixie and Spud climbed on his back and he took off.

About six years ago, this would've been a difficult task. Now, he was much stronger and his wings could lift three times their combined weights. In a flash, they arrived at Canal Street Electronics and the trio rushed inside. Fu was mixing ingredients together in the backroom. He finished what he was doing and turned to face them.

"You got the crystal?" he asked briefly.

Jake revealed it, nestled in the palm of his clawed hand. Fu motioned for Jake to bring it to him. Jake curiously handed the crystal over watching as Fu dipped it into the potion he just made. The dragon noticed the mixture didn't even ripple. It was clear like water, but it didn't reflect anything. The crystal changed from purple to clear. Fu lifted the crystal from the potion and explained what he just did.

"This is a skrining crystal," he began, dangling it from its chain where everyone could see it. "Rose used it to locate people she was looking for. She'd just hold it over a map, tell the crystal to find someone, and if they were on the map, the crystal would point to their location. Instead of just pointing us in the right direction, this little crystal will take us to when and where Rose is."

"What's the catch?" Trixie asked suspiciously.

"Well the difficulty of this search and rescue depends on where she is," Fu explained. "She could be back in the times of the dinosaurs or a couple of years ago. "

Lao Shi stepped up and said, "Also, there is the matter of the stranger with her. We don't know who he is, but he looked like Hunts Clan to me. Apparently, not all of them are locked away on the Isle of Draco."

"In other words, be ready for a fight," Fu summed up. "Now we're not going in this unarmed. Trixie, Spud, I've whipped up some special stuff for you guys."

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A fire was blazing bright in the otherwise dark night. Rose had caught fish for supper and the remains of their dinner were burning in the fire. Draco and Bowen had drifted off to sleep ages ago. Rose simply couldn't sleep and it wasn't for lack of trying. Her nerves were frayed and she was on edge. She figured Jake would've found a way to her by now. What was really keeping her up was worry about Kane. He was out there somewhere, waiting for the right moment to attack again. Every little noise caused her to freeze and scan the dark forest nervously. For the hundredth time, she wished Jake were with her.

She knew she shouldn't be skittish. Draco was there and he could easily fend off anything threatening, but she didn't feel too reassured by his sleeping self. He had size, power and plenty of years of wisdom in battle judging by the worn look his horns and body had. She should have felt completely safe and went right to sleep like Draco and Bowen had. Out of the three, she was the only one who truly knew what Kane was capable of. He'd been a much more effective apprentice to the Hunts Man than she ever could have been. He was a better fighter, and definitely a better dragon slayer (he'd actually _killed_ a few). Draco had fought and survived his share of dragon slayers, but these primitive hunters were nothing compared to Kane. He would take a human life just as easily as he would a dragon's. That's why she could not and would not sleep.

New hope came with a new day. Rose cheered up when the sun arose and chased away the threatening shadows of night. Eventually Bowen and Draco awoke.

"Rose, you look like you haven't slept," Draco said.

Rose ran a hand through her hair and yawned groggily.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"It's because of me isn't it?" Bowen asked accusingly.

"Oh don't flatter yourself, Bowen," Rose muttered, too tired to be grouchy. "I spent the whole night obsessing over a bigger threat. Kane is out there somewhere, and I know night is the perfect time to strike. You guys were asleep and we would've been completely vulnerable to an attack if I would have slept."

She wanted to sleep so badly, to just close her eyes and drift off. It was so hard to fight it. She was worn out, not only from lack of sleep and constant worry, but the escapade at Penderas Towers had drained her as well.

"Rose," Draco said gently. "Get some rest. Bowen and I will keep watch."

"But," Rose protested weakly.

"You watched over us all night, so we'll return the favor," Draco said soothingly. "It's alright now."

Rose relented and lied down on the cool, soft grass. Almost instantly she fell asleep.

"I can't believe she did that for us," Bowen commented awestruck. "She barely knows us, yet she'd guard us while we slept."

Both dragon and man gazed at Rose who was getting her well-deserved rest. She was a woman like neither of them had ever seen. She was strong, independent, and yet feminine and frail at the same time. She was a fighter and a lover. Bad and good, sweet and sour, gentle and firm all rolled up in one. Each, in his own thoughts, secretly congratulated Jake for finding such a girl.

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Rose awoke hours later feeling refreshed and well rested. The first thing she noticed was she was alone. She became completely alert and awake in a matter of seconds. Frantically she looked around for any sign of Draco or Bowen. Suddenly a roar that was unmistakably dragon echoed through the forest. Rose's heart plummeted and she grabbed her staff. She plunged through the underbrush, blindly racing to Draco's aid.

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**Finally an update! Sorry about the delays! I've just been so dang busy lately.**


	4. Fight

**Sorry if the story's been kind of bland so far. Between stress and a cold, my writing just hasn't been up to standards. **

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Rose swatted low hanging branches and bushes aside. She ignored the pain as brambles scraped her skin making small cuts. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Draco being involved in a life or death struggle with some unseen adversary. She immediately placed Kane as the culprit.

She could hear the sounds of a struggle as she neared Draco. Draco and who ever he was fighting weren't the only ones involved. Panic gripped her and she ran faster, tripping over exposed tree roots. The echoes of the battle bounced off the rock walls on either side of her, making it difficult to pinpoint the source. She didn't know how close she really was until the protective covering of the forest fell away and she found herself out in the open.

The first thing she saw was a seven-foot-tall wolfish looking monster. It leapt on Draco's back and sank its teeth into the back of his neck. The dragon roared in fury more than pain and struggled to dislodge the creature. Bowen was trying to shoot the monster with his bow and arrow, but it would be near impossible not to hit Draco in the process.

Rose immediately dashed to Draco's aid. She climbed onto his back, which was difficult considering how much he was bucking and rearing, and snuck up on the monster attacking him. Her staff crackled and sparked for a few seconds until it had built up enough energy, and she took aim at the creature's exposed back. Suddenly, one of its ears swiveled back and its head followed suit. Its blood red eyes narrowed and it snarled, revealing a mouth full of terrifyingly sharp fangs. He lost interest in Draco and went for Rose. She dove off the dragon's back and whipped around to face him.

He was airborne and about to land, fangs first, on her. There was a blur of black and brown, and Rose found herself perched atop Bowen's horse, sitting in his lap. She saw the beast lying in the dirt several yards away, painfully picking himself up off the ground. There were gashes in his side resembling claw marks—dragon claws to be precise. The muscles in his body tensed and he settled a red cold glare on Rose. Draco roared threateningly. The beast regarded him with a look of annoyance, but chose not to continue the fight. He glanced at Rose--a promise that he would be back--and dissolved into the dark foliage. There was nothing the least bit cowardly about his retreat. It was as if he didn't consider Draco or Bowen much of a threat.

Rose found herself focusing on other matters. Removing herself from Bowens lap, for one. She leapt to the ground, grinning inwardly at the embarrassment the dragon slayer was trying to hide. She came to the next item that needed to be taken care of: any injuries Draco might have suffered. Upon inspection, the bite on his neck hadn't gone deep at all and there wasn't any bleeding that she could see. Now she had some questions that demanded answering.

"What were you guys doing out here?" she asked crossing her arms. "This is a good ways from the campsite, so I believe you two have some explaining to do."

"I went out to find some breakfast before you woke up and I ran into that thing," Draco explained. "Bowen came and tried to help me."

Rose seemed satisfied with the answer. Suddenly, there was a whirring noise, and, in front of the group, a sparking blue tornado touched the ground. They all backed away apprehensively, Rose readying her staff. The tornado stirred up dust and leaves, making it almost impossible to see. It spat out two large shapes and three smaller ones, then died down. They waited anxiously for the dust to settle.

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**Short chapter, I know.**


	5. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Okay, sorry for wasting anybody's time with this, but it's something I just have to say.

I feel this story is getting nowhere. I've got half a mind to scrap it, but giving up is just something I don't do well. I have simply gone blank, nothing more. I'm not sure if it's writer's block or just a crappy story that's hindering me. For those few of you that _do_ like the story, I apologize for letting you down. I'm not saying that I'm going to delete it. For that, I two reasons: 1) I started this thing, and I'm going to finish it 2) I've just become stumped that's all. I may work on other fan fictions until I can work around this.

The main thing delaying me is stress and a cold. My brain's kind of temporarily shut down, so I'll just let it rest. Usually a story comes to you when you least expect it and from the oddest sources. Anyway, while I'm searching for my muse, entertain yourself with other fan fictions like Radiant Beam's _The White Dragon _and _Remembrance._

Once again, I apologize and I ask for your patience.

Sincerely,

Earth & Fire


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